In Durango, voters repealed a city ordinance passed in August that would have charged consumers 10 cents for every plastic bag given out at grocery stores. Fifty-six percent of voters approved of the repeal. The Durango Herald reported that such a repeal of a city council vote was unprecedented.

Opponents say the fee wouldn’t have had a big enough impact to make it worthwhile.

Ellen Stein, who led the campaign for the fee, blamed the defeat on what she sees as an anti-government political environment following the federal government shutdown and problems with implementation of health care reform, according to the Herald.

The vote came as Denver City Council is still considering a 5-cent bag fee. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has said he will veto the legislation, but councilwoman Debbie Ortega said she is still pushing forward on the bill that is expected to come up for a vote next month.Read more…

From backyard chickens in Broomfield to a repeal of a fee on plastic bags in Durango, some interesting and low-profile issues appeared on ballots throughout the state.

“It’s not all about taxing marijuana,” said Sam Mamet, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League. “All politics is local.”

Broomfield votes on whether to allow backyard chickens, one of many unusual ballot issues in the state. Here, Janna Harris in Highlands Ranch enjoys her chicken coop. (Photo By John Leyba/The Denver Post)(Photo by the Denver Post).

Broomfield City Council earlier this year voted to deny its residents to own backyard chickens, which has become a popular hobby and activity around the nation. After the vote, the council decided to let the voters decide in November. The Broomfield vote has been overshadowed by the anti-fracking vote that is also on Broomfield’s ballot. Fort Lupton also has chicken ordinance on the ballot.

Seven municipalities are posing nearly $300 million in debt questions covering park and recreation improvements, street improvements, water and wastewater, and broadband investments. The largest issue is in Commerce City ($166 million for a variety of park, recreation, and street improvement initiatives), and the smallest is in Basalt ($5 million for a redevelopment project).

Perhaps the most interesting money issue is in Breckenridge, where the town is looking to continue its child care scholarship program. Currently, the program pays out about $558,000 a year to supplement child care services for about 187 children. But the subsidy is set to expire. The tax question would increase property taxes to raise an estimated $800,000 a year to continue the program.

In the southwest corner of the state, two interesting ballot issues are under contention, one in Telluride and the other in Durango.

Durango’s council in August passed a bag ordinance that starting in March would have charged consumers 10 cents for every bag used. But citizen-led referendum against the fee is seeking to overturn the new law.

And in Telluride, voters are considering a 1-cent per ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages that includes sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks. Revenue from the tax would pay for programs to fight childhood obesity.

Gov. John Hickenlooper and his wife, Helen, have different tastes when it comes to the art scene. He’s a fan of the world-renowned artist Christo; her, not so much.

“There’s a lot of people, including my wife, who think just leave the river the way it is,” said Hickenlooper, speaking to a room of newspaper publishers gathered at the governor’s mansion, about the artist’s multi-million dollar “Over the River” project slated for southern Colorado a little more than three years from now.

In a 30-minute question and answer session Thursday at the annual reception hosted for the Colorado Press Association, Hickenlooper — sipping an amber-style beer — dodged providing direct answers to a series of questions zinged at him.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.